The Edit — Kitchen
Best Countertop Ice Makers 2026: Bullet vs Nugget, Ranked
The complaint that recurs on every brand is a machine that stops after a few months. 5 machines, ranked, with the ice each one actually makes.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
The 5 machines here are chosen as How we choose describes. They are split by the ice they make, bullet or nugget. Nothing here was used or tested.
Frigidaire 26 lb Portable Countertop Ice Maker
Good fit Drinks for a household, every day
Not for You came for chewable nugget ice
Euhomy Countertop Nugget Ice Maker, 35 lb
Good fit A big household or a party
Not for You want GE's auger-made pellets specifically
Silonn Countertop Ice Maker, 26 lb
Good fit You want a self-cleaning cycle
Not for A quiet kitchen matters to you
EUHOMY Countertop Ice Maker with Handle, 26 lb
Good fit You move the machine between kitchen, deck and cooler
Not for A quiet kitchen matters to you
GE Profile Opal Mini Nugget Ice Maker
Good fit Chewable pellets are the point
Not for You want a long owner record before you buy
Choose the ice first: bullet or nugget
A bullet machine freezes water around metal pegs and drops cloudy, bullet-shaped cubes, the first batch within about 10 minutes. A nugget machine uses an auger to make soft, chewable pellets. Nugget or bullet explains the difference in full.
| Machine | Ice type | Stated output |
|---|---|---|
| Frigidaire 26 lb | Bullet | 26 lb / 24 h |
| Euhomy nugget 35 lb | Listed nugget | 35 lb / 24 h |
| Silonn 26 lb | Bullet | 26 lb / 24 h |
| EUHOMY 26 lb | Bullet | 26 lb / 24 h |
| GE Profile Opal Mini | Nugget | Not stated in title |
Bullet ice: fast cycles for everyday drinks
Frigidaire 26 lb Portable Countertop Ice Maker
26 lb a day of bullet ice, with a first batch in 6 to 7 minutes and no assembly, by owner reports.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Ice type | Bullet |
|---|---|
| Stated output | 26 lb / 24 h |
| Owners praise | Quick batches, no assembly |
The everyday bullet machine, at 26 lb a day by its listing. Owners report the first batch in 6 to 7 minutes, no assembly, and a machine they call worth the money.
Ice left in the bin melts, owners note, which is how every machine here works. Production and durability draw mixed reports, including units that stop after about a month, so keep the box through the return window.
Buy it if
- Drinks for a household, every day
Don't buy it if
- You came for chewable nugget ice
Silonn Countertop Ice Maker, 26 lb
9 cubes in 6 minutes and 26 lb a day by the listing, with a self-clean cycle.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Ice type | Bullet |
|---|---|
| Listing states | 9 cubes / 6 min, self-clean |
| Mixed reports | Speed, noise, durability |
The bullet machine that cleans itself. The listing states 9 cubes in 6 minutes, 26 lb a day and a self-cleaning cycle.
Owners say it works straight out of the box and makes ice quickly, and split on speed, noise and how long it lasts. Silonn’s separate nugget machine draws durability complaints, so this bullet model is the Silonn to buy.
Buy it if
- You want a self-cleaning cycle
Don't buy it if
- A quiet kitchen matters to you
EUHOMY Countertop Ice Maker with Handle, 26 lb
A 26 lb bullet machine with a carry handle, where owners split on speed and on noise.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Ice type | Bullet |
|---|---|
| Stated output | 26 lb / 24 h |
| Mixed reports | Speed, noise |
A 26 lb bullet machine with a carry handle, which is the case for it: owners move it between kitchen, deck and cooler, and report it making ice quickly.
Speed and noise are where owners split. If it will live on a worktop in a quiet kitchen, weigh that noise split before the handle.
Buy it if
- You move the machine between kitchen, deck and cooler
Don't buy it if
- A quiet kitchen matters to you
Nugget ice: the machines that make chewable pellets
Euhomy Countertop Nugget Ice Maker, 35 lb
Listed at 35 lb a day, the most here, and owners report a full basket in 20 to 30 minutes.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Listing says | Nugget, 35 lb / 24 h |
|---|---|
| Owners describe | Small and large ice sizes |
| Owners praise | Output, value |
The most ice here by its listing, 35 lb a day. Owners report a full basket in 20 to 30 minutes, small and large ice sizes, and value against buying bags of ice.
It is sold as a nugget machine. If soft, auger-made pellets are the whole point, the Opal Mini below is built around exactly that.
Buy it if
- A big household or a party
Don't buy it if
- You want GE's auger-made pellets specifically
GE Profile Opal Mini Nugget Ice Maker
A compact auger nugget machine from GE Profile's Opal line, with a short owner record so far.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Ice type | Nugget, auger-made |
|---|---|
| Owners praise | Nugget quality, compact, top fill |
| Mixed reports | Noise |
The Opal Mini is the compact version of GE Profile’s Opal nugget machines. Owners report great nuggets made quickly, a small footprint and easy filling from the top, with noise the mixed note.
It is a newer listing with a short owner record, so this is early evidence. The full-size Opal 2.0 Ultra draws owner reports of failures after about 6 months and of ice that melts fast.
Buy it if
- Chewable pellets are the point
Don't buy it if
- You want a long owner record before you buy
Descale every machine, whatever it makes
Every machine here runs best below about 90°F, and scale is the common cause of a slow one. When the ice stops covers the fixes in order, and beverage fridges cover the other half of a party: 130 cans kept cold.
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Keep reading
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Best for bullet ice
Frigidaire 26 lb Portable Countertop Ice Maker